Music
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- And while we're on the subject of Wicklow, rising Bray outfit Peakin' Trippers play CrawDaddy, Dublin tonight.
The quintet are in town to launch their rather fine and super-catchy new single Tin Tin. As their Bebo site puts it, "get onto the bandwagon ... before it really gathers speed".
http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/day-and-night/columnists/loaded-050908-1470338.html - Irish Independent
IT'S BEEN a long time coming, that's for sure. But one of the hottest properties the music scene currently has to offer is finally ready to emerge from relative obscurity, and make a musical mark on the nation.
And on the evidence of ‘Tin Tin', the debut single which takes its bow today, that won't be too difficult for Peakin' Trippers.
‘Tin Tin' is pop-rock at its finest, a strong melody backed up by an energetic rhythm and addictive harmonies. It's the sort of song that sears itself onto the mind, staying there for days and refusing to leave.
It's probably high time that the band came up with something along these lines. Though they've been on the go since 2006, the band found themselves largely confined to their hometown of Bray until recently. Of course, being a big fish in a small pond has its good and its bad points, explains bassist Shay Fogarty.
"You come up with a core fanbase, who are always behind us. It's always fantastic to play in our local, the Harbour Bar, because people know the words, people love the band and there's always a great atmosphere.
"At the same time, we're limiting the material in some ways. Only so many get to hear it, and after a while you want to try out the stuff on a new crowd.�
"We have to be careful of the ‘local band' tag as well,� he adds. "We like to think we're a fairly professional outfit, not just some bunch of lads who threw a demo together out of boredom. I mean hey, we've even got our own branded t-shirts!�
So how to go about making that all-important move to more distant regions? The single will help, says singer Dave Butler.
"‘Tin Tin', as well as the B-sides and songs we recorded and put out last year, they all help. People have heard them and offered us support slots, like FRED in CrawDaddy. It also makes it easier to get our foot in the door with club nights and showcases.
There seems to be a tendency towards the live element among the band. And rightly so. For while the single may be addictive and catchy, the live shows offer just as much in their own way. So, what should one expect if they pay the €8 to go and see the boys in CrawDaddy tonight?
"Madness,� says Dave. "Lots of energy, the chance to dance if you want. . . or just listen if you'd prefer.�
"We're not messers on stage or anything, we do take it seriously and we work hard up there,� adds Shay. "We're just not shoegazers either.�
What an understatement.
Fronted by Scott ‘Demented Chicken' O'Neill, the band have a charisma and presence that so many other bands lack. Add to that the diverse pop-rock-ska-country-younameit repertoire, as well as that musicianship, and you've got a band who tick all the boxes.
But while the much-anticipated launch gig may be on their minds today, there's one eye being kept on the longer-term fate of the promising debut single.
But it's not all down to chart success and financial rewards.
"So long as people hear it, like it and want to listen again then we're setting up the right platform for the next release,� says Shay.
"And that's how it works, really.�
■Peakin' Trippers play CrawDaddy tonight, tickets €8 on the door. Their debut single ‘Tin Tin' is on sale today, and can be bought for 99c by texting MUSIC 1392 to 57501 - Herald AM, 05/09/2008
Discography
Tin Tin - debut single, September 2008
Forgotten Man - single, March 2009
Where Were You Last Night - free download single, June 2009
Photos
Bio
Ask any member of Peakin' Trippers how they're doing, and you can be guaranteed that one thing will be mentioned in the response: the band's upcoming debut album.
In spite of employment issues, rent to pay, beer to drink and in one case even kids to feed, the band have refused to cut corners in production of this album -- recorded in Sun Studios with Ireland's top music man Gareth Mannix -- sticking to their belief that if you're going to do something, you must do it right.
That hasn't made life cheap or easy, but then Peakin' Trippers wouldn't have it any other way. One look at the band's artwork, photos and videos, or even a listen to their so-called 'demos', proves that this is a band that doesn't operate in halves.
And why would they? With tunes like these, you’ve got to do them justice.
This, after all, is the culmination of over three years' development and hard work, which has seen the band rise from their comfortable status as Bray's top act, to sell out venues in Dublin, play about in the Irish charts and nudge their way towards the inner-circle of the capital's music scene. There's always been a market for cleverly composed pop, and this band know how to get people going in that regard.
Not that that’s tantamount to real success just yet, of course; let's be honest. But it’s a good start. Here is an exciting band, boasting excellent musical penmanship -- and this album is going to be the catalyst for the Trippers' long-awaited explosion.
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